Rara Avis is probably the first French restaurant in Delhi. Situated in GK II – M-Block Market. The restaurant is in 2 floors and the upper deck is open. The deck is lighted with hundreds of bulbs. The overall ambiance is classical. The chairs and tables just reflects other side of classical French tradition. Anatomy pictures can be seen on the walls. The scent across the place is divine. The kitchen is headed by French Chef Jerome Cousin.
We ordered the Virgin Mojito, Mint Lemonade and Rara Avis as Mocktails. The Rara Avis was an incredible drink, quite spicy because of the pepper. The Guava Juice and Tobacco sauce combination is unbreakable. The salt on the rim of the glass made the drink complete in flavors. The Virgin Mojito was fresh. The Mint Lemonade was created by blending Mint Leaves, Sugar syrup, ice and lemon in the mixer. The minty green color gave the drink an attractive look. The drink was just so very fresh. We had the Mojito and Orange Mojito for Cocktails. The Mojito as well as Orange Mojito had the right balance of flavors. The Orange Mojito was made from fresh Orange Juice.
We started with the Salade de Chevre Chaud (Croutons with warm Goat Cheese and fresh salad), Croutes aux Morilles (Morel Mushrooms in Port Wine reduction) and Mille Feuilles Tomate Feta (Layers of Tomato and Feta Cheese with fresh Salad) for appetizers. The Croutons with warm Goat Cheese dish came with croutons topped with warm goat cheese. It was served with fresh salad made from lettuce and other leaves.
The Mille Feuilles Tomate Feta was made from layers of Tomato and Feta Cheese with fresh Salad. The Morel Mushrooms dish was probably the best I have every taste. The port wine and Morel Mushroom reduction was creamy and so delicious. The sauce was poured over freshly cut baguette slices. A must, must have with a score of 10/10!
Rara Avis makes fresh baguette’s everyday and it’s just their signature. This simple bread which is soft from inside and hard from outside, with butter, just brightens up your day! Pieces of Baguette and butter are served from each table no matter what you order. Some of the items on the menu keeps changing depending on the seasons but Rara Avis also has few a page for their all-time favorite and signature items.
We then moved to the Risotto Du Sous Bois (Wild Mushrooms Risotto) and Poivrons Farcis Au Quinoa (Stuffed Capsicum with Quinoa) for our main course. The Wild Mushroom Risotto was perfect interms of consistency. The overall texture was creamy. I would go back to Rara Avis to try this again. The Stuffed Capsicum with Quinoa, the dish is super healthy. This gluten free dish is a protein boaster and probably found only at Rara Avis.
We had ‘Marinade Figues Au Porto, Glace Vanille’ (Vanilla Ice-cream with Figs marinated in Port Wine) and Traditional Tiramisu for Desserts. The marinated Figs in Port Wine reduction was completed with scopes of home-made Vanilla ice-cream. The combination was unique. The Tiramisu was excellent. Layers of Mascarpone Cheese were put in to make the Dessert creamy. The top was finished with sprinkle of coffee powder. Excellent!
The Scorecard:-
Food/Taste – 8/10
Service – 8/10
Value for Money – 8/10
Ambiance – 9/10
Quantity/Quality – 8/10
Overall Rating is 8.2/10.
Must Have: Rara Avis, Orange Mojito, Baguette with salted Butter, Wild Mushroom Risotto, Morel Mushrooms in Port Wine reduction, Traditional Tiramisu
French dishes at its best!
